KATHMANDU: The Nepali Army (NA) is being deployed in the field from today to ensure security for the upcoming House of Representatives elections, scheduled for March 5.
All four security agencies, the Nepali Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, and National Investigation Department, will be mobilized in coordination under the Integrated Security Plan 2082 BS to conduct the elections in a free, fair, impartial, and fear-free environment.
With just a month remaining before the elections, the agencies will implement the plan to make security arrangements efficient and effective. Election Police recruited specifically for election purposes will also be deployed.
The Nepal Police and Election Police will manage the inner perimeter of polling stations, while the Armed Police Force will be responsible for the second-level perimeter in coordination with the Army and Police. The Nepali Army will oversee outer-level security across all 165 constituencies.
President Ram Chandra Poudel has already approved the Army’s mobilization for election security, following the Prime Minister’s recommendation and the Council of Ministers’ decision. The Nepali Army will establish bases as required, focus on election security, and conduct joint patrols where necessary.
The NA is preparing to deploy 80,000 personnel for the elections. According to Basnet, the Integrated Security Plan 2082, approved by the President, guides the Army’s mobilization, which will occur in three phases.
Before the election, the Army will handle key responsibilities, including printing and transporting ballot papers, securing polling stations, transporting ballot boxes, and safeguarding vote-counting centers. They will also coordinate with the Nepal Police and Armed Police Force to secure important infrastructures such as airports and prisons.
During the election period, the Army will be stationed at polling stations and centers, providing full security to political parties, candidates, voters, and election staff.
A total of 3,406 candidates are contesting the elections. A total of 18.9 million voters are registered, including 9,240,131 women, 9,663,358 men, and 200 others.
The elections will be conducted across 23,112 polling stations in 10,967 locations nationwide. To ensure adequate security, 77,000 Nepal Police personnel will be deployed, supplemented by 133,000 Election Police. Polling stations have been classified as normal, sensitive, or highly sensitive: 2,844 normal, 4,444 sensitive, and 3,688 highly sensitive. Security arrangements have been strengthened accordingly.
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